No French Grand Prix in 2009!

[christophulus]

http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/71421

[jso1985]

for once it's not Bernie's fault!

still a big shame, we just lost a classic :down:

[ioan]

:eek: 2 western GP's lost within a few weeks!
In one year time it will be the right moment to welcome the Asian & Middle-Eastern F1 championship! :D

Not funny at all.

[veeten]

for once it's not Bernie's fault!

still a big shame, we just lost a classic :down:

actually, it is.

This what happens when you have jacked up the price of doing business, and have a major market-related downturn happen right behind it. It has become harder to justify such things in the face of present times, and Bernie isn't doing anything to help the long-term financial issues that a few more of these races, most that are reliant upon both state and financial industry backing, would later experience.

A step towards reducing the sanctioning fees and other costs would go a long way towards preserving the sport without losing the grandness of it. Only someone whom is too selfish and short-sighted would make statements signaling that they aren't willing to take the long-term approach in insuring that all venues have a better chance of sustained return.

[Robinho]

goodbye France, welcome back Canada? i would assume they'll want to keep an 18 race calendar?

[VkmSpouge]

Well we've all heard "no French GP next year" before, hopefully this time it will come true. I can't stand Magny-Cours and that's the only viable track in France. I think France should have a grand prix but while Magny-Cours is the only track capable of hosting the event there, I'd rather do without.
Hopefully this will let Canada back.

[Nikki Katz]

I doubt that they'll let Canada back at this stage, I just don't think we're that lucky.
I hope that they manage to replace this race as soon as possible, and not just with a street circuit with no overtaking. A French GP is hugely traditional as well as an important market. Plus if we lose the British GP it'll be the nearest one to us!

[schmenke]

goodbye France, welcome back Canada? i would assume they'll want to keep an 18 race calendar?

But is Abu Dhabi not in the calendar next year :?:

[schmenke]

:eek: 2 western GP's lost within a few weeks!
In one year time it will be the right moment to welcome the Asian & Middle-Eastern F1 championship! ...

I fear you are correct :( . Next on the chopping block is the Australian GP :mark:

[call_me_andrew]

goodbye France, welcome back Canada? i would assume they'll want to keep an 18 race calendar?

Just call the race in Montreal "The French Grand Prix".

No one in Quebec will notice the difference.

[ShiftingGears]

But is Abu Dhabi not in the calendar next year :?:

Indeed. It looks about as interesting as Singapore.
http://thef-1blog.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2007/02/abudhabi_circuit.jpg

Although it has one interesting corner. Which is one more than Singapore.

[Areez2006]

well, they could keep hockenheim as the German GP, bring back the Nurburgring as the European GP, and call Valencia the Mediterranean GP (I heard they were going to change the name anyway).

[tintop]

actually, it is.

This what happens when you have jacked up the price of doing business, and have a major market-related downturn happen right behind it. It has become harder to justify such things in the face of present times, and Bernie isn't doing anything to help the long-term financial issues that a few more of these races, most that are reliant upon both state and financial industry backing, would later experience. .

Spot on

[Hondo]

The Difference with Canada and France is they said "No thank you" to Bernie as opposed to Bernie removing them. If too many more tracks decide the price they have to pay is too high, Bernie might have to seek his own bailout to cover his note. It seems I remember some venues saying the cost of staging a Grand Prix is seldom recovered by the event. Bernie better realize that F1 is relevant as entertainment only and quite frankly, it hasn't been too entertaining for awhile.

[call_me_andrew]

Indeed. It looks about as interesting as Singapore.
http://thef-1blog.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2007/02/abudhabi_circuit.jpg

Although it has one interesting corner. Which is one more than Singapore.

Clockwise or Counter-clockwise?

[wmcot]

Clockwise or Counter-clockwise?

Do you mean Bernie or the track???? :)

[wmcot]

well, they could keep hockenheim as the German GP, bring back the Nurburgring as the European GP, and call Valencia the Mediterranean GP (I heard they were going to change the name anyway).

Then again, if enough venues turn Bernie down, we could end up with 16 or 20 races alternating between Abu Dahbi, Bahrain, Singapore and China. Each could hold 4 or 5 races a year...

[ShiftingGears]

Clockwise or Counter-clockwise?

Counter-clockwise.

[F1boat]

Monaco will stay forever :)

[leopard]

Where do we put the petition, we may need another one to reinstate French GP.

[Roamy]

wanna race - start lighting up - cigarettes are not affected by bad enconomys.

[Storm]

Well if they bring Canada back, I won't mourn too much for Magny-Cours.
Sure France needs a GP just for all the history but the current track is boring.

[AndyRAC]

The F1A should never have sold the commercial rights to Bernie. Now they'll have a job getting them back. The cost of staging a race is a complete joke - how is that in the sport's best interests?
In all this cost cutting talk, has the lowering of the entry fees and a reduction of fees to stage races been discussed? Mmm,
I doubt it.......

[truefan72]

actually, it is.

This what happens when you have jacked up the price of doing business, and have a major market-related downturn happen right behind it. It has become harder to justify such things in the face of present times, and Bernie isn't doing anything to help the long-term financial issues that a few more of these races, most that are reliant upon both state and financial industry backing, would later experience.

A step towards reducing the sanctioning fees and other costs would go a long way towards preserving the sport without losing the grandness of it. Only someone whom is too selfish and short-sighted would make statements signaling that they aren't willing to take the long-term approach in insuring that all venues have a better chance of sustained return.

yep

not having a french GP seems absolutely inconceivable to me.
Seems like the the 5 races that should always be on the F1 calender are the Italian, British, German and French and Japanese GP.

One's gone now, the British was in doubt until Bernie squeezed out millions from Donington park.

You watch in another few years the german and Japanese GP might come under pressure, especially with the economic crisis, several enterprises might not choose to subsidize these revenue loss leader at the current rates.

F1 might find themselves loosing out to the likes of the sports car series or an expanded/global DTM style series in the near future to fill the gaping void filled by Bernie's greed.

its the arrogance of self adulation and false might in the light of crumbling surroundings that took Rome down. And f1 is doing their best to go down that path.

[Hondo]

The F1A should never have sold the commercial rights to Bernie. Now they'll have a job getting them back. The cost of staging a race is a complete joke - how is that in the sport's best interests?
In all this cost cutting talk, has the lowering of the entry fees and a reduction of fees to stage races been discussed? Mmm,
I doubt it.......

Bernie has large bills to pay.

[Bagwan]

No disrespect to the French , but Magny Cours sucks anyway .

And now there's more space to refit the Canadian race on a good track .

Though I think there should be a French GP , that's my silver lining on this topic .

[schmenke]

The Difference with Canada and France is they said "No thank you" to Bernie as opposed to Bernie removing them. ...

Keep in mind that both the Canadian and French GPs are partially subsidised by their respective governments.

[N. Jones]

http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/71421

Let's hope so. The track is more fun in pixel-ated form than in real life...

[FIA]

Magny-Cours great drivers circuit, seriously one of the races has to be there.

[DazzlaF1]

yep

not having a french GP seems absolutely inconceivable to me.
Seems like the the 5 races that should always be on the F1 calender are the Italian, British, German and French and Japanese GP.

One's gone now, the British was in doubt until Bernie squeezed out millions from Donington park.

You watch in another few years the german and Japanese GP might come under pressure, especially with the economic crisis, several enterprises might not choose to subsidize these revenue loss leader at the current rates.

F1 might find themselves loosing out to the likes of the sports car series or an expanded/global DTM style series in the near future to fill the gaping void filled by Bernie's greed.

its the arrogance of self adulation and false might in the light of crumbling surroundings that took Rome down. And f1 is doing their best to go down that path.
Id add Belgium to that list, Spa simply has to be on the calendar.

But really, the French GP, you have to admit has been in doubt for a few years now, all thanks to the greed of Bernie. Dubai and Qatar both have tracks now and also cold hard cash, and i think Bernie has said he wants to have a race in Qatar in the future, we know India and South Korea are on the calendar in the future and theres a new track being built near Moscow.

So considering that, looking at the races on next years calendar, i think these are under threat as well

HUNGARY - This i think could be next one to get the chop, even though they've signed a new deal, despite the enthusiasm of the Hungarian folk, if Bernie keeps putting the price up, the organisers here could struggle

AUSTRALIA - Bernie's already said he wants a night race there, personally i dont see the point in that, its fine as it is, and Melbourne always brings up a great race

BRITAIN - If Donington Park flops, i think that would be the final straw for Bernie

GERMANY - I dont know about the Nurburgring, but Hockenheim has struggled to raise the cash needed to stage the race (i think thats why they've started alternating with the Nurburgring.)

Overall though, its getting ridiculous

[ioan]

Magny-Cours great drivers circuit, seriously one of the races has to be there.

I agree, the circuit is a very technically demanding one, but hey, show is more important than the technique involved, sadly.

[ioan]

HUNGARY - This i think could be next one to get the chop, even though they've signed a new deal, despite the enthusiasm of the Hungarian folk, if Bernie keeps putting the price up, the organisers here could struggle

Hungary finds itself in serious financial troubles ATM, so it may be that F1 won't go back to many times there.

[jens]

I'm not really going to miss Magny-Cours, although it's a shame to see the calendar reducing to 17 events, while it seemed probable to witness more races than that.

[christophulus]

The loss of Magny-Cours isn't really a problem to me, I always found the races dull. The loss of France as a GP hoster is a worry though. A lot of people believed France-Germany-Italy-Great Britain were going to be there forever more (or hoped that at least). If France can't afford a race I'm not entirely sure Germany will stick it out for much longer. And as for Donington.. :S

I really don't want the whole championship to shift over to Asia and the Middle East but that looks like the only countries that can currently afford to host an event. And even that won't last forever. The sooner the cost of hosting/paying Bernie is reduced the better.